1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to card games and, more particularly, to a card game with a side bet bonus event, and the ability to wager on either a banker""s hand or the player""s hand.
2. Background of the Art
With the expansion of gaming and the increase in competition, it has become desirable in the industry to offer players a wide range of games and to add excitement to older games. Growth in slot machine popularity and the increase in the number of available specialty games have resulted in the overall reduction in play of conventional games, especially more standard games such as baccarat.
There has been constant pressure in the casino industry to remove less profitable live table games and use the floor space to install more profitable slot and video game machines. On the other hand, it is generally believed by casino operators to be undesirable to reduce the number of live gaming tables because of the inherent game attractiveness to both table players and casinos, and the fact that the presence of additional varieties of games may retain marginal business or provide sufficient alternative forms of play to customers so as to attract repeat, high stakes players. It is well known that gamblers who place the largest stake bets prefer to play live table games.
The game of Baccarat is based on simple concepts and procedures that are readily understood by both casual and regular players. Moreover, the game requires relatively low overhead to facilitate and monitor each game. In addition, floor space is limited in a casino, and casino operators are reluctant to replace an income-generating Baccarat game table with a totally new and unproven game variety.
In conventional Baccarat or min-baccarat, the rules for when a player and the banker must take a hit are generally well established. The only decision to be made by the player is whether to bet on the player or banker hand. In contrast, with the game of 21, experienced players can utilize established strategies such as card counting to reduce the inherent house advantage. The ability to reduce the house advantage is not of concern for casino operators with respect to baccarat but is an issue with blackjack because there are more variables such as more hits, more wager increasing steps (double downs, splitting, etc.) that can be exercised in blackjack, as compared to the game of baccarat. More experienced or beginning players may be hesitant to play Baccarat because it appears to be such a simple game and that there is little excitement and no chance for a significant payout on a hand without a large wager being placed. Novice players may play blackjack poorly even with some knowledge of the basic strategy and therefore have a more negative experience than might otherwise have been the case, and deterring them from longer play at the table. Although card counting is discouraged in most casinos, it is difficult to police card counting. A rehearsed card counter can typically count cards without exhibiting any outward appearance of counting. It would be desirable to provide a side bet game that is not as readily influenced by the ability of players to count cards.
In an attempt to accommodate the desire for variety and the retention of a significant table game presence, several Blackjack variant games and baccarat variant games have been introduced. These games include Mini-Baccarat, progressive win side bets in Baccarat, Multiple Action Blackjack, Spanish 21, Over and Under 13, Face-Up 21, and Royal Match. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,917 to Vancura. A summary of known Blackjack variants is discussed in the Vancura patent.
The addition of side bet wagers to table games has provided an additional level of excitement and a chance for increased awards to be made in table games. The side bet in Over and Under 13 is limited to a one-to-one payout, so again, large payouts are provided with only large wagers. Such games as Minnesota 21(trademark) provide higher bonuses (e.g., as much as $500 on a one dollar side bet for three consecutive blackjacks) with a side bet or house take based on the level of the underlying wagers. Other payouts that are multiples of the house take are based on hands of 6-7-8, blackjacks in suit, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,251 describes a baccarat or blackjack game with a payout that is a multiple of the initial wager (there is no side bet or additional wager beyond the wager on the underlying game). The broadest concept of the game described is as a method of playing a casino card game that is based on card hand numerical totals (e.g., blackjack and baccarat) and includes a player core wager, the core wager being the only wager required for the player to participate in the game. The method comprises establishing a dealer hand having a numerical total and a player hand having a numerical total; and paying a variable payoff according to the player core wager that varies according to an amount of numerical difference between the dealer hand numerical total and the player hand numerical total. A typical pay table for blackjack is described as
It is desirable to design and provide additional games, especially baccarat games, that provide good profits for the house and more betting opportunities, while providing players with more exciting play, more variety in play, and an opportunity to obtain greater payouts, especially payouts in excess of 5:1.
It is thus an aspect of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for playing a baccarat-type card game that overcomes some of the limitations associated with conventional casino baccarat games such as repetitiveness, lack of multiple odds, and the like. It is another aspect of the invention to provide a baccarat-type card game incorporating a variable payoff based a side wager as to either a natural count of 8 or 9 being obtained on the first two cards or the magnitude of the difference between a player""s hand point count and a dealer""s hand point count., The player may place a side bet on the player""s hand or the dealer""s hand. The hand that was bet on must be higher in rank than the hand that was not bet on by the player in order for the player to qualify to receive a payout on the side bet.
According to the invention, a casino game is provided that can be played on existing baccarat tables with minor side bet placement identification markings on the layout and different printed rules. The game according to the invention is a Baccarat derivative or Mini-Baccarat derivative, wherein there are two potential payouts in addition to normal play of the game. One payoff for wagering on a winning hand (either the player""s hand or a banker""s hand) is based upon the hand that is wagered upon having a natural (two-card) 8-count or 9-count. A second payout is based upon the size of the difference between player hand point count and dealer hand point counts, with the hand that the player has bet on being higher in rank than the other hand. For example, the player could win the side bet by placing a bet on the dealer hand, and the dealer hand beating the xe2x80x9cplayerxe2x80x9d hand by a predetermined minimum point difference.